The trophy is awarded annually "to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community."
Inspired by his great-grandfather who was a firefighter in Winnipeg, Hathaway and his wife, Lindsay, launched Hath's Heroes in 2019.
Hath's Heroes has supported a number of initiatives aimed at giving back to first responders in the Washington, D.C., community throughout the 2021-22 season.
This past year, Hath's Heroes announced a
first-of-its-kind collaboration
with the nonprofit Mindful Junkie to provide mindfulness training to D.C.-area first responders. Through the partnership, Hath's Heroes funded multiple Mindful Junkie seminars led by Mindful Junkie founder Gina Rollo White. The trainings are available to all firefighters within D.C. Fire and EMS and delivers Tactical Brain Training® (TBT), which empowers first responders to better handle work-based trauma. Through the training, first responders learned the science of mindfulness, how to identify triggers and de-escalate emotional response, and more.
Earlier this year, the Hathaway's announced the recipients of the
inaugural Hath's Heroes of the Year Award
. The award was established to honor local first responders for going above and beyond in serving their local communities. The award recipients received four tickets to a Capitals game, a signed Hathaway jersey, 4 Hath's Heroes pucks and a postgame meet and greet with Hathaway.
In December of 2021,
Hath's Heroes hosted the Frederick Fire Department
at a Capitals game to honor Battalion Chief Laird, a 21-year veteran of the department who was fatally injured in the line of duty in August of 2021. More than 40 firefighters from the Frederick County Fire Department attended the game to honor the Laird family. Additionally, the group was presented with a custom No. 21 "W" Laird team-signed jersey.
The Hathaway's also partnered with the Washington Capitals to create co-branded Hath's Heroes and Capitals merchandise shop. Available online during the last two months of the regular season, proceeds from the merchandise will benefit the Baltimore Fire Foundation, which will provide immediate financial support to the families of the Baltimore City firefighters that were injured in the line of duty in January of 2022.
As of April 2022, Hath's Heroes has donated more than 400 lunches to local firehouses in Washington, D.C. and contributed auction items, including a team-signed Hathaway game-used stick and signed Hath's Heroes pucks to the annual D.C. Fire Hockey tournament. Proceeds from the auction benefited the D.C. Burn Foundation.
Since 2019, Hath's Heroes has donated more than 5,000 meals to first responders and their families.
Hathaway has also continued to support the Hockey Talks platform, established to raise awareness and help end the stigma surrounding mental health. Hathaway has been an ambassador for the campaign and participated in a PSA that was distributed in-game and shared on the Capitals social media channels earlier this season.
The King Clancy Memorial Trophy was presented in 1988 by the NHL's Board of Governors in honor of Frank "King" Clancy, a beloved figured in the League for decades as a player, referee, coach, manager and goodwill ambassador. A three-time Stanley Cup champion and 1958 inductee to the Hockey Hall of Fame, Clancy was voted as one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players during the League's Centennial Celebration in 2017.
The 32 nominees were selected by their respective NHL teams. The winner will be chosen by a committee of senior NHL executives led by Commissioner Gary Bettman and Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly. The selection committee will apply the following criteria in determining the finalists and winner:
* Clear and measurable positive impact on the community
* Investment of time and resources
* Commitment to a particular cause or community
* Commitment to the League's community initiatives
* Creativity of programming
* Use of influence; engagement of others
The first-place finisher will receive a $25,000 donation to benefit a charity or charities of his choice. The two runners-up each will receive a $5,000 donation to benefit a charity or charities of their choice.
